Last Ride in Greece - May 24

For our final ride, we decided to go to Fiskardo, a village at the northern part of the island.

Fiscardo is known as the only village in Kefalonia to have retained some original buildings during the 1953 earthquake. The area is also known for attracting yachts and is one of the most expensive places on the island.

We traveled on our familiar route. This time, Murray had left behind his bike bag, and his speed definitely increased. But we were really riding strong - after more than a week of climbing and a day of rest, our legs were strong but fresh. Even the big hill right before Fiskardo didn't prove an obstacle.

In Fiskardo, we sat at a cafe, and the reputation was right. Prices were definitely more expensive here. My Coke Light was 3 euros - more than $4. I guess we were paying for the setting. We decided to skip lunch here and find somewhere more reasonable on our way back.

And it was a beautiful place. There were some older buildings which gave the village a bit more character than others we have seen. Cafes lined the waterfront and boats from all over the world docked in the port. We saw flags from the U.S., Canada, New Zealand - to name a few.

After our break, we headed back up the the hill - this time taking a different route and a quieter road that Murray's parents recommended. The climb up ws still hard, but the quiet desolation and non-touristy villages helped us enjoy the effort. We stopped at a village for lunch. There were no patrons at the restaurant. We went inside, and asked for a menu. No menu, the owner told us. She would tell us what she could make that day.

I ordered a Greek Salad and fries. Murray ordered an cheese omelet and fries. We had to laugh when his fries came IN his omelet. (And the eggs were from her chicken. Murray was concerned that if we ordered a chicken, she might have killed one of her chickens to please us.) We split a half carafe of wine and sat at the outdoor table eating our lunch. Not many people made it off the main track into this small town. Even though May isn't the busiest tourist month, this place was a tourist-free zone.

We took our time at the restaurant, and chatted with the owner. Her name was Vicky - a strange name for a Greek. She explained that her real name was EV - said E.V. For some reason, people started calling her Vicky from the time she was young. Huh? We wanted to know more, but her English wasn't the best.

Her husband was also a road cyclist, but Vicky didn't want to bike up the hills. I couldn't blame her. Before we left, she filled our water bottles with water AND ice - such a nice treat. Then she surprised us with a surprise dessert - honey and sesame cookies. For all the food and wine, the bill was just 15 euros.

That night, we had the final family dinner at the Dolphin. It wasn't as exciting since the music didn't play. But Nia managed to dance a little and the people in the restaurant clapped as she moved.

Total miles: 49